Seras little snippet thread

After dinner I slipped away back to my room using the excuse of packing. Then jumped back into Skyrim. The cold of Bleak Falls Barrow felt harsh on my lungs, the cold acid cold, but it only energized me.

I was strong.

I was ready.

Down into the barrow I went. The puzzle room didn't even take me more than a moment, although I did stop and explore around, finding an actual Mana Potion on one of the upper levels!

Storing it into my hip pouch I felt much more confident and raced ahead.

Skeevers attacked me as I ran down the steps, and after tazing them they died to a solid hacking with my axe,

Then I hit the spider webs.

The faint shouts of a man calling for help reached my ears, but I ignored that. The spider webs practically coating the room meant I knew what was coming.

I took a breath and cut through the webs blocking the door, then as soon as I had a path through, I thrust my axe into my belt and started charging with both hands.

The massive Frostbite Spider slipped down from the ceiling, and I glared at it, noticing it was injured. No wonder it hadn't eaten the Dark elf… Arven? Something like that, but while I felt sorry for it. I was also fully aware it was going to attack me.

As it landed I struck, a lance of lightning strong enough to half blind me, reached out and connected my hands to the spider's many eyes.

And a moment later it shrieked a horrendous noise, but no matter how it flinched away or moved it couldn't escape my white hot grasping tendrils of lightning.

Then it died. I breathed for a moment, my nose crinkling at the smell, but it was dead.

I stepped in, and saw the Dark Elf that had stolen the Golden Claw hung in the webs.

"Thank the Nine! Help me out of here! That thing was going to eat me!"

I walked over and drew my axe. But it wasn't because I intended on saving this man.

"Give me the Golden Claw." I demanded, and I could see the dark elves' eyes widen. Plotting, how to handle this reveal.

"Of course! Just get me down, it's yours! I don't need it!"

I started hacking away, already knowing what was going to happen. The moment he was free he took off. "You fool! Why would I share the treasure with anyone?" And ran deeper into the barrow.

I had considered just killing him, but he was a good enough distraction.

Giving him a few moments to get ahead I started off. Not long after I heard the sounds of draugr waking up and the shouting of Arvel as he started fighting.

By the time I caught up he was already surrounded. I took a moment to gather power and once more let out a massive discharge watching as Arvel died alongside the three draugr, electricity surging between all four of the bodies.

Approaching carefully I cringed at the sight of the dead draugr.

They were really nasty. Skin mummified and filthy, rotting away despite their mummification.

"This is gross." I wandered past them poking each of them with my axe to make sure they were dead.

Then I searched Arvel. He had a good amount of loot. Septims, a few potions, and of course in his backpack a Giant Golden Claw…

This thing was kinda heavy. I hefted it up and stuffed it in my knapsack hefting the weight. Okay. Time to move forward.

The draugrs ahead weren't a threat, nor were the traps, or tricks. I had gone through his place enough times and it hadn't changed much from the game. I continued forward. Looting gems, and potions, and coins from all sorts of nooks and crannies, filling my bag.

Tricking the draugr into fires, or into axe traps never got old.

And then I came to the massive final door taking a moment to switch the symbols. I placed the golden dragon claw key inside and the door opened.

I swallowed, my tongue felt heavy.

Stepping forward I ignored the bats, and then there it was.

The Word Wall.

The Thu'um written out. Vaguely I could hear it already, The shouts of those who made it. The understanding they had crafted into the words itself.

Forward. Every step I made the noise grew louder. Walking across the bridge up the stone work steps. My spine prickled as I moved past the coffin that contained the strongest thing I've ever faced in either life, resting.

Waiting.

But the noise of the Thu'um called me. I could hear it a thousand voices, chanting, it made the noise incomprehensible. Almost gibberish. But there was a part of me that responded.

They were calling.

Dovahkiin! Fah Hin Kogaan Mu Draal!

Dovahkiin! Fah Hin Kogaan Mu Draal!

'Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray.' It shouted at me. A call begging aid. It was a call from the past. A desperate plea to handle the problems of the past pushed into the future.

Alduin, and the fate of the world.

I moved forward. A confidence in my steps. This was my fate. Destiny. What I was meant to be.

"Dovahkiin." I whispered, and my throat felt rough and sore, as I spoke even that word. It wasn't enough. It wasn't thu'um, but it was close. It was right there.

The word for power spoke to me from the ancient past and all those who shouted their experience into this stone, in hopes of one day gifting strength to the future. To the last Dragonborn.

I felt it flow into me. The knowledge, meaning and experience. The Thu'um was the very structure of the world itself. The Words the Aedra had used when forming the planes, all matter as one.

The sound of a massive stone coffin lid knocked aside broke my immersion into the words. And a moment later I was back in my flesh and blood and the noise of distant Thu'um was gone.

I turned, staring at the angry Draugr, and I wasn't scared.

"EXCUSE YOU I WAS HAVING A MOMENT!" I roared, power surged from my fingers as I gathered every drop of mana. I could see the draugr Overlord stop for a second as lightning splashed from my hands to the ground around me, sparking and gathering strong as I combined my hands and unleashed it all.

Gasping for breath I blinked the spots from my eyes as I saw the draugr had been knocked backwards falling over his stupid coffin and then over the ledge.

"Serves you right."
Then I heard it. Stomping steel steps on stone.

Out of mana I did the smart thing, grabbing the mana potion I had found and chugging it down.

It tasted old, almost chunky, but it gave me mana, and if I got sick, at least I'd be sick after killing the draugr.

It came back around the corner onto the platform battle axe raised and it looked angry.

"Die!" I screamed blasting it again, electricity surging as I tried to do as much damage as I could. But it just charged straight at me, right through the sparking electricity, I jumped aside right at the last moment, and its lumbering but overwhelmingly powerful swing smashed into the stones I had just been standing cracking them, and blasting out a cold wind.

I gathered up what Mana I had left and blasted him with it, staggering him for a second.

Just a second.

Drawing my axes I prepared myself. He was slow, lumbering almost, his body not the well oiled machine it used to be. I could do this.

"ZUN HAAL VIIK!" He roared at me, and suddenly my weapons ripped themselves from my hands, leaving me defenseless as he continued charging.

I turned and leapt over the same coffin he had come out of and jumped down the rocks until I was by the stream that flowed through.

Reaching into my knapsack now that I had some space I tore through it, grabbing the first weapon I could find.

An Ancient Nord War Axe. I had taken it from one of the draugr I had killed in the flaming pot room. I had figured I would hang it up on a wall or something.

Not use it to save my life.

The draugr had followed, slower, but with plodding determination. Battle Axe raised.

My own weapon felt miniscule in comparison, but it didn't need to match. I was faster.

I rushed him before he reached me. The old draugr relied on ancient instincts, lashed out with the butt of the axe like a staff, but I rolled forward, uncaring about the bruising stone on my body as I slammed the axe into the back of his leg, and then I rolled again. Just in time to save myself from the Battle Axe swiping through where I had been. Then I started running.

The war axe had done its job. But I had something better. The draugr was even slower now. Limping after me, as its leg even through the mummification still needed to be whole to work properly.

I made it to the top platform, and found my steel axes.

"Okay. I can do this." I told myself remembering the anger at having the moment ruined. I turned and stared as he walked up the steps. Limping slowly, but his eyes never left mine.

I closed my eyes. The world was a dream, it was material made to be molded. I breathed in deeply, filling my lungs, and then focused on what was given to me.

When I opened my eyes the draugr was almost on me, but that was where I wanted him.

"FUS!" I shouted. I wasn't just calling out a spell. I wasn't pushing him with the wind and air.

I was connecting the very concept of Force. To move something. To inflict action upon it. To DEMAND.

I called upon reality to bend, and at my shout it did so.

The wave of power flowed out of me, echoing off every stone, dust and rocks pushed away, the draugr stumbled thrown backwards and his weakened leg unable to push against the wave of my will made manifest.

I tasted blood. I could feel it flowing into my mouth, and down my throat. But the taste only urged me on, as the draugr stumbled falling to the ground I was on him. Both axes swung down with all the force I could make.

It wasn't a lot. I was weak. I was no great warrior, or fighter, no wood cutter with experience with proper cuts.

But that was why I chose to keep the axe over some of the swords I found, or the mace.

You don't need good cuts with an axe, the weight does most of the work. You don't need elegance or skill.

You just slam the blade into the bad guy's face until something gives in.

I was completely out of breath when I finally fell away from the draugr landing on the freezing stone and just staring up at the stone roof above as I tried to catch my breath.

Tried being the main word. My throat was full of blood. I coughed, and blood splattered the stone.

Thu'um hurt.

A lot.

I don't think I was ready for it. I didn't have the training. I didn't have the Dragon Soul. I think the Dragon Soul did something to help so you didn't hurt yourself when you shouted.

Digging through my pouch I grabbed a healing potion and chugged it down, wincing at the cold feeling of it flowing over my painful throat, but then the pain eased, and I breathed out.

"O-w." I croaked, even with healing my throat wasn't happy. I sat there for a while just breathing.

A level up tinkled in my soul, but I just felt tired. It was cold… I sighed. I wondered if I could make a fire? Probably not. There wasn't anything to burn in here. Realizing there was no point in sitting here, I rose up and started looting. The draugr's weapon, the magic Ancient Nord Battleaxe was picked up, with no way to carry it otherwise, it turned into my walking stick. The draugr only had some ancient coins in a hip pouch, and then the Dragonstone.

It was actually attached to his back chained there… Through the flesh. It took me a few seconds to carve the chains off so I could take the stone. Grooooss.

Gathering it all, I headed towards the big ass chest next to his coffin.

He wasn't going to need it anymore.

Opening the chest I grinned as I saw some interesting loot.

An Elven Shield that glowed with magic, a cheap Iron War Axe which I was going to ignore, a big old Iron Greatsword, which I was going to have to figure out what to do with it because it was glowing as well.

Magic fucking weapons.

"Fuuuck yeaaaah." I hissed out through my still raw throat, as I reached in to grab the shield, the moment I lifted it something shifted under and it hit my hand.

"A new hand touches the beacon." The voice suddenly shot straight into my mind had me yelping and leaping back falling flat on my ass. I flailed around for mana to cast only for it to fail as I was still completely tapped out.

Then I realized what it was that just happened.

"Listen! Hear me and obey. A foul darkness has seeped into my temple. A darkness that you will destroy. Return my beacon to Mount Kilkreath. And I will make you the instrument of my cleansing light."

Then it went silent. "No fuuucking waaay." I slurred a bit as I sat up and pulled open the chest again pulling the shield away.

And there it was Meridia's beacon. Laying in the bottom of the chest.

I slumped. Reaching in I picked it up, it wasn't heavy, just kinda big, a ball wouldn't fit well into my knapsack.

I stuffed it in, and gathered up the rest of the loot. The Greatsword thankfully had a sheath so I slung it across my back with my Knapsack over it. Not the most comfortable position, but I was able to heft everything up and turn to look at the room.

"Forwarrrrd. Or baack?" I questioned realizing I could go straight to Whiterun, or back to Riverwood.

I was tired. I didn't want to fight a Dragon just yet.

Turning, I stomped back through the barrow. It would be a long walk back to Riverwood.

—--

The sun was out by the time I entered Riverwood again. Thankfully, despite being rather exhausted from all the weight I was hauling around. My throat had recovered after a while, and honestly. It was kinda nice.

Walking down the mountain was way better than walking up it. Especially with a cool Battle Axe walking stick.

Riverwood was active as I hiked into town, earning me plenty of strange looks, but I headed straight for the trader.

Stomping inside I shivered as the warmth of the fire inside was really nice after my sunrise hike.

Before anything I walked over to the fire peeling off my Iron gauntlets which had done a great job keeping my hands warm, but there was something about settling onto the large fireplace inside the trader lit by a bustling fire and just letting the warmth flow into me.

"Hey. This isn't the Inn." Lucian grumbled as he watched me enter and basically ignore him to rest my legs.

"Oh then I guess I should take this over to the Sleeping Giant Inn?" I asked as I fumbled with my knapsack considering how much junk I had in my arms, and pulled out the Golden Claw.

"You found it!" Lucian cheered all of his previous irritation gone in an instant. "Come don't sit on the fireplace. Here take a seat, let me help you get some of that junk off you." He offered, grabbing my Battle Axe and setting it against his counter and then helping me lose my knapsack, that had the elven shield strapped to it, and the greatsword.

To my surprise he quickly pulled out a bowl, and even poured me in some stew from the cooking pot on the fire.

"Here, warm yourself, and eat this. You look exhausted." He said sympathetically, and I couldn't help but nod a little.

"It was quite a hike. Especially with all that stuff I found."

"Hmm. It's usually bad luck to take any of the draugr weapons… But that isn't my concern. Eat up, hah! Look at this! Back where it belongs!" He cheered, heaving up the golden claw and setting it onto the counter.

"What's going on? Oh! Lucian the Claw!" Camilla called out as she came down from upstairs.

"Indeed! This young adventuress brought it back!" He cheered and I smiled at the family's delight.

"Now I believe I offered you a certain spell book?" He said and I rolled my eyes.

"I don't need Clairvoyance anymore. I found a book while traveling." I denied and his face fell.

"Well I suppose we'll have to offer some gold then."

"Brother! Don't listen to him, thank you. We'll make sure the reward is well worth the trouble."

"Well, how about we do some items in trade then, if that would work better? I need some more spell books still, and I wouldn't mind seeing what you have in stock."

"Perfect! Come let us make sure you leave with everything you need. We'll also be willing to purchase some of what you brought back?"

"There's a couple of jewels I suppose." I offered, the weapons of course were staying with me.

An Iron Greatsword that was enchanted? That would be crazy desired in Westeros.

Plus I needed to learn all the enchantments so I could enchant stuff too!

"Well let me go grab all of the spell books we have. Camilla."

"I'll take care of the rest. We have potions, and things always useful for adventurers!" She offered her sales pitch entirely on point.

"Mana potions please."

"Ah, a mage! I pegged you for that before. Mages always need more mana potions!" She went into the back following her brother to gather them.

I just started eating.

Free food was nice, and I was starving.

—--

"Hmm. A difficult customer." Lucian offered as he took away another pile of junk he had tried to sell me. I really had no interest in weapons that weren't enchanted.

"Well how about some jewelry!" Camilla offered, coming out with a small wooden case, while holding it she opened the lid showing me a small array of rings, necklaces and things.

"I'm not really a jewelry girl… And I have my own." I might be a bastard daughter, but Papa had made sure I had a few pieces.

Not that I wore them often, but I had been dragged into parties before.

Never to Dragonstone, as Stannis didn't host parties, which was a shame. I had always wanted to go there.

But then something caught my eye.

"Is that enchanted?"

"Hmm? Oh, well, no and yes. That's an amulet of the Divine. Akatosh's blessing is upon it." Camilla offered and I went still.

I reached out and touched it. Akatosh. "I'll take it." I decided decisively.

"Oh, Victoria, I keep telling you, when haggling you always seem half disinterested in what you are buying, otherwise the price will rise." Camilla offered, not for the first time and I just smiled.

"I'm kinda bad about haggling."

"Oh, I've noticed, dear. But don't worry, I won't raise the price. This one just doesn't sell, so it's good to let it go." I nodded and the amulet went onto a small stack. A book, three mana potions, an amulet, and a potion of regeneration because I wanted one just in case.

In exchange Camilla had given me some tips on haggling, once she realized I was a complete dummy with coin. Pretending to haggle for every item as we traded.

But I now had a very useful spellbook.

"Oakflesh." I whispered to myself, fingers roaming the covers. Protection would be rather nice to have.

With that all settled I stayed a while longer, finishing my breakfast and warming up before gathering everything up.

I traveled across the way, and paid Delphine for a room at her Inn. I used the chest inside, to pass over most of my stuff, and then crashed into sleep.

A level up appeared.

Five stat points went into Intelligence, and then the final skills points needed to raise Destruction to 100.

I was now a master of Destruction, and I knew that few would be able to match me. A final perk was selected. One that I didn't choose.

Destruction Mastery: 25% enhanced Destruction damage, and 25% reduced Mana cost.

A powerful perk.

Then since I only had 5 skill points left, I dropped them into Axe. Just that five points gave me a good bit of experience in using axes of all sorts in combat. I felt much more confident with my bladed backups.

And then. I drifted. Sleep taking me.